Remember to Breathe
by chancetofly24
Summary: PostThe Hunting Party, Kate confronts Jack and they spend a night together on the beach.


Kate stands on the shore, staring out at the blood-streaked sky, sinking. The lull of the water – in and out, in and out – keeps a steady rhythm flowing across her feet, giving her something to count on. Nothing was definite these days – least of all her relationship with Jack – but gravity never let her down, no matter what was going on around her.

The cool breeze from the ocean drifts towards her, lifting her hair off her shoulders. She closes her eyes against the setting sun, not needing to see the end of another day pass her by. The island had softened her hardened demeanor, almost to a fault. She had never been a girl that dreamt about guys and chance encounters, but one who dreamt about police chases and wanted posters. The first few days here, she had refused to give in to the temptations she felt – to move to the caves with Jack, or to at least spend the night when he asked. She had denied him time after time, while inside, her walls were slowly crumbling. After the kiss, after she ran, after Zeke had thrown her out into the night air with no regard for her personal being, everything was tainted – she couldn't even look at Jack without being reminded of the constant pain that hid behind his eyes.

She opens her eyes and rubs her neck, almost feeling the tip of the gun barrel pressing against it, almost feeling the intense fear that had overwhelmed her that night in the jungle. Along with it came the memory of her apologizing to Jack in the field – her eyes desperately searching his, trying to make him understand how truly sorry she was – and his dismissive apology in return. Her eyes cloud over at the thought, turning the sunrise a hazy color that reminds her of traffic cones.

She looks down at her feet, seeing that she has already sunk all the way up to her ankles, but knowing that no amount of sinking would help to erase the pain in her heart. She had shut everyone out for so long that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be in love, and then, to have your heart broken. The absence of pain only made this experience that much more difficult for her – the spears that Cupid was supposed to use for only good were instead piercing her heart with such an intensity that sometimes, she could barely breathe.

"Four," she whispers, vocalizing the number of days that she realizes she hasn't spoken to Jack. Four days that seem like an eternity, a never ending nightmare she can't awake from. She would give anything for Jack to just talk to her again - to get a simple hello from him would be like a gift of gold compared to the icy looks she'd been getting lately. It was ironic – they hardly knew anything about each other, but their personalities meshed so well that sometimes it seemed like they were two sides to one coin.

"Four?" a voice behind her asks, jerking her from her thoughts. She immediately knows it's him, before she even opens her eyes. It's almost as if her heart has engrained his eternal whereabouts in its memory – she could be standing with her eyes shut, as she is now, and know exactly where he is. It scares her that someone could have that kind of effect on her, influencing her decisions in ways she had never had to deal with before. She turns her head slightly, just enough to be able to see the strong, solid figure of Jack standing slightly behind her, his shoes on the sand next to him, sinking.

"Hey," she says, clearing her throat and shaking her head slightly in an attempt to remove any traces of emotion. "I, uh… I didn't know anyone was here," she manages out, hoping that he isn't going to press her about the word she had uttered.

"Well," Jack began, "Believe it or not, nothing is going on right now. No injuries, no treks... nothing. I saw you here, and figured I'd join you and try my hand at sinking my way off the island." She can see him grinning at her out of the corner of her eye, reminding her of the first time he found her sinking. Caught off guard by his sudden friendliness, she laughs shakily, her nervousness shining through her carefully crafted shield. Sensing her uneasiness, he lifts his feet delicately out of the wet sand before moving to stand next to her, his gaze drifting on the sinking sun.

They stand for a few seconds before Kate clears her voice and turns to face him, her eyes searching his face for answers she hopes are written there.

"So, Jack, what are you really doing here?" she asks, letting the anger she had been feeling seep into her voice, making it cold and harsh. She had never been one to mince words – she would rather get it over with, like pulling off a band-aid. She didn't want to avoid the subject anymore; it was eating her up inside and him pretending it was nonexistent only infuriated her more.

"What?" he asks, clearly surprised at her boldness. "I told you, Kate… I saw you and thought I'd come keep you company."

"Jack, come on," she says, barely allowing him to complete his sentence. "You and I both know that's bullshit. You haven't been talking to me for four days and all of a sudden, you act like nothing happened. What's really going on? Did you come to tell me about your army with Ana or something?" She rolls her eyes and looks away, moving her toes in the sand so they poke through.

"Kate, look… I'm sorry for what I did, okay? I was mad that you came with us, that you almost got yourself killed. I just needed time to cool off and since you're actually standing in one spot for once, I thought it would be a good time to talk to you," Jack says, his voice rising slightly as he turns to face her, his hands palm up in front of him.

"Did you ever think that if you had let me come, I wouldn't have gotten captured, Jack? You let Sawyer go – Sawyer, with a bullet wound still healing in his shoulder! But you wouldn't let me go! It's your fault, Jack… everything would be fine if you hadn't been so adamant about me not coming," Kate spits out, her cheeks becoming slightly flushed as the anger surges through her.

"_My_ fault?" Jack asks, incredulous. "It's my fault that you don't listen to anyone but yourself, that you put yourself in danger just to prove a point? I came here to apologize and I did, Kate, what more do you want?"

"I want you to actually mean it, Jack," Kate says, looking at him with desperate, shining eyes. "I need you to mean it. But maybe it's not enough this time…" she trails off, turning her face once more to the golden glow of the horizon. She shoves her palm into her eye, rubbing away the tears that are threatening to make their way down her cheeks. She can't do this, she can't break down in front of Jack – not here, not now. The emotions she had held inside for so long were suddenly so clear, so able to break her. She looks down, hoping her curtain of hair will disguise the few stray tears trailing down her cheeks and dripping into the water that still ebbs around her feet.

Jack glances over, expecting to see her fuming, but he is surprised to see her crying instead. Kate, his Kate, is hurting so much that she is actually crying, something he often wondered if she was even capable of.

"Kate…" he whispers, reaching his hand out to pull back her hair. She shakes her head and moves slightly, just out of his reach. He pulls back his hand, still reaching into the quiet dusk air, and moves to put it on her shoulder. His touch seems to ignite something within her, and her shoulders began shaking as tears drip furiously down her face into the water below. He wants nothing more than to wrap her in his arms, her cheek fitting perfectly into the space beneath his shoulder, but he knows she wouldn't allow it. Instead, he simply stands with his hand placed lightly on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing circles, trying to convey his own emotional response to hers.

Her crying begins to cease and she shrugs off his hand as she reaches up to her face, tucking her hair behind her ears and wiping the tears that dot her already freckled face.

"Do you want to take a walk?" he asks quietly, not wanting to get into another argument.

She turns quickly and faces him, doing so before she remembers she is ankle-deep in wet sand. She stumbles a little and is steadied by two firm hands grasping her forearms, holding them in front of her. She looks up into his eyes – hers still wet, his full of the pain he is feeling for making her feel this way – and nods almost imperceptibly. He nods once in response and, dropping his hands from her shoulders, guides her around by her elbow, letting go only when she's steady.

They continue down the beach, their silhouettes turned black against the bright sky as dusk settles upon them. Carrying their shoes in their hands with their pants still rolled up and wet at the bottom, they look as though they have just emerged from the sea fully formed – Kate's hair a mess of tangled seaweed and Jack's tattoos marks made by unyielding creatures of the dark. Just as the water does, they surge down the beach, making uneven paths of footprints along the sand. After many almost unbearably silent minutes, Jack clears his throat and stops, turning to face her with his hands in his pockets. Kate stops too, her hands on her hips, staring up at him with questioning eyes.

"I really am sorry, Kate," he says softly, meeting her gaze and daring her to hold it. The sincerity in his voice makes Kate drop her gaze first, glancing at her feet as she scuffs her toe in the loose sand, tracing invisible patterns. "I never meant to hurt you like this… I just- I was so scared, Kate. I saw you with that gun against your head and I could hardly breathe. It wasn't that I didn't care – it was that I cared too much. I've always been fiercely committed to everything I do – I can still remember every single surgery I've ever performed. And you, following us, even if you were doing it to watch out for us, meant that you were going behind my back, betraying me. And suddenly, the commitment I had put forth seemed to shatter. But I've also been very bad at lettings things go, Kate. I don't want to let you go. I've missed this," he gestures between them, "this… thing we have. So, I'm sorry. I really mean that. I hope you can forgive me, and that it will be enough."

Kate looks up as he finishes, her cheeks still flushed from earlier. "Jack, I…" she begins, but trails off, not knowing exactly what to say.

"It's okay," he reassures her, looking down and shaking his head. "You don't have to say anything, I understand." He looks back up at her, his lips pressed together, and turns to continue walking when she touches his arm.

"Wait," she says so quietly that he almost doesn't hear it. "I'm sorry that you have to see me like this… usually I'm not this emotional," she chuckles and Jack smiles slightly, encouraging her to continue. "I'm sorry I ran from you, Jack. It wasn't that I thought it was a mistake or anything, but in that moment, everything was just illuminated and so real. It scared me, feeling like that. So I did the one thing I'm good at – I ran. And I don't even know why I followed you into the jungle… to protect you or prove a point, I don't know. But what I do know is that you ignoring me for the past couple of days has been killing me. I've never been the girl that has the silly crushes on guys, but this is just… different…" she trails off again, opening her mouth once more before shutting it, deciding to let Jack speak.

"Yeah," Jack says softly, a smile twinkling in his eyes. "It is, isn't it?"

Kate smiles back up at him, content to know that for now, nothing else needs to be said. They both turn and continue down the beach, the approaching dusk enveloping them in its soft, welcoming arms. Kate closes her eyes and breathes in deeply, inhaling the sweet smell of the salt drifting in front the ocean, allowing it to calm her emotions as she walks. She slows, enjoying the warm sand around her feet, only breaking out of her reverie by the feel of something warm and solid in her hand. She glances down to see Jack's palm touching hers, his fingers curled around her hand like a song on the wind, weightless and enchanting all at once. She turns her head, her eyes looking to meet his, but sees instead that he is looking up at the stars dotting the already darkened sky. She smiles to herself at his attempt to be nonchalant, squeezing his hand gently to get his attention.

"It's getting pretty dark… we'd better make camp," she says, pointing to a spot down the beach that is sheltered by rocks. He nods, letting go of her hand and swinging his backpack down to the sand as they get closer. They drag a log over from the jungle, with Kate sitting on one end peeling fruit while Jack blows on the sparks in the pile of twigs, trying to ignite a flame. Once the fire is burning bright enough to light up the still, cool air, Jack sits back, accepting the fruit Kate hands him. They eat silently, both lost in their own thoughts and insecurities.

Suddenly, Kate speaks, her voice gentle and floating on the breeze like a melody to Jack's ears. "When I was a little girl, I used to think that stars were holes in heaven where angels could watch us and protect us," she says, pausing to look down and smile, before she turns to look at Jack. "Silly, right? I know it's just some little kid fairytale, but even now, thinking of it, it makes me feel better." She smiles embarrassedly, unsure why she is sharing her childhood fantasies with Jack.

"When I was little, I used to think there was a man that lived in the moon," Jack says, scooting closer to her on the sand, his back against the log with his temple almost touching her knee.

"Jack," Kate laughs, "Everyone believes in that! That's not something special."

"Oh, but it is," Jack says, a grin starting to spread across his face. "I was not only convinced that it lived there, but I would leave food out for it every night, incase it got sick of eating aliens. I also made this replica of the moon, drew a girl's face on it, and propped it up facing the moon so he wouldn't be lonely."

Giggling hysterically, Kate manages to half-speak, half-laugh, "You didn't!"

"Sadly, I did," Jack says, shaking his head slightly, a faint grin still on his face. "I was quite the imaginative kid when I was younger, before my dad started pressuring me to follow my God-given talents," he says, his tone dripping bitterness on the last few words.

Quieting down at Jack's sudden change in mood, Kate shifts and, pushing herself off of the log, lands next to Jack, their knees touching. She looks over at him, but his eyes are focused on the fire, lost in bittersweet memories of his past. She lays her head carefully on his shoulder, blatantly contradicting the voices in her head that are screaming not to. He tenses slightly but then relaxes, her head molding perfectly to his body, just as they had both imagined. They sit, gazing into the fire, letting the dancing flames mesmerize them, warming their bodies and souls. Jack looks out of the corner of his eye just in time to see Kate unsuccessfully trying to stifle a yawn, only succeeding in looking absolutely adorable. She notices him looking at her and glances down sheepishly. "Haven't been getting much sleep lately," she says, shrugging.

Jack's heart breaks a little at her statement, realizing that most likely, he was the cause for her insomnia. Knowing that Kate had been up late at night, thinking and worrying about the situation, didn't make him feel special or confident, but broken and guilty. He had never meant for this to spiral as out of control as it had, harshly racing through their delicate relationship, causing damage that he could only hope was completely repairable.

"Come here," Jack says gently, lifting her to her feet with his hand balancing on the smooth skin of her forearm. He lets go of her arm, noticing her wobbling slightly as she suppresses another yawn. Bending down, he unzips his backpack and reaches in, removing an airline blanket. He stands up and fans it out, laying it far enough away from the fire to be safe, but close enough for the glow to still be reflected in Kate's deep green eyes.

He sits down, tugging her hand for her to follow him, and just as she is sitting down, he grabs her waist and leans back, pulling her down onto the blanket with him. They both smile at the nearness of each other, knowing that even though they haven't specifically articulated their feelings for each other, the awareness of it is fully present.

Their backs on the blanket covering the hard, bumpy sand and their faces upturned to the sky full of sparkling stars, they lie there silently, allowing the night air to lull them into a peaceful calmness. Searching the sky for a familiar constellation, Jack sees a shooting star and impulsively reaches over to where Kate's hands lay on her stomach. He grasps one and entangles his fingers with hers, resting their hands on the blanket between them. Absentmindedly stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, he allows a content sigh to escape his lips, cleansing himself of the daily stress he has been facing for over fifty days. Hardly believing this moment is real, his eyelids drift closed as the heat of the fire and Kate's hand in his own radiates over him, through him, around him.

"What's your favorite color?" she asks abruptly, making Jack's eyes fly open at the sudden break in the quiet. She remembers his answer of standard black for the stitches that had left rows of dotted lines on his tanned back, the ones that contained little pieces of herself under their seams. While most kids would be eager to pick something more colorful, she knew that most adults would choose a basic color, not needing to be reminded that whatever color they chose was about to plunge into their skin repeatedly. But, she realizes, she had been hoping for some bit of information about him, even back then – as if his thread color preference would somehow create an inseparable bond between the two.

Turning his head to give her an odd glance, he looks back up before replying, "Green. Why?"

"I was just wondering…" she trails off, deciphering the points of the Big Dipper in the sky. "We don't know much about each other Jack. Favorite foods, where we want to vacation, what our middle names are… nothing like that. Yet we've saved peoples' lives together, gone on jungle hikes where we've been in life-or-death situations together… Doesn't that seem weird to you?"

He turns on his side, propping himself up with his elbow to get a better glimpse of Kate – the flames from the fire dancing across her face, illuminating the shadows and giving her an unearthly glow.

"So," he says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and smiling slightly. "Are you saying we should play a little game of twenty questions?"

Kate laughs at Jack's playfulness, a side that she rarely sees due to the stress of being on the island. Sitting up and crossing her legs, she smiles back at him. "How about I give you three? Twenty seems like a little too much."

"Three?" Jack sighs in mock frustration. "Okay, if you say so… but I get to go first."

"Go right ahead," she says, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, anxiously awaiting his question. They both know that the game could turn dangerous very quickly, but for now, she's willing to take her chances.

"Hmm," Jack ponders, sitting up so that he is facing Kate, only inches away. "Okay, let's start with an easy one. What's your middle name?"

"Elizabeth. Katherine Elizabeth Austen," she says, grimacing. "My mom liked the old-fashioned names."

"I think it's beautiful," Jack says to her, turning her grimace into a blush that spreads quickly through her face. "Your turn."

"Okay, what's your middle name?"

"That's the question you're going to ask me?" Jack asks her, laughing. "Out of all the juicy things you could ask, you're wasting your first question on asking me what my middle name is?"

"I don't think it's wasting! I want to know," Kate answers, her face sincere.

"Christian," Jack answers, clearing his throat. "My middle name is Christian. My dad thought it would be a good luck sort of thing… pass on the family name with the family business." He lowers his head, picking at a thread on the blanket.

"Hey," Kate says, reaching out and putting her hand on his knee. "It's okay."

He looks up, his forehead creased and eyes blinking rapidly. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." He smiles at her, silently telling her that he's okay. "My turn again? Okay. What was the first car you ever had?"

"Actually," Kate replies with a smile in her eyes. "It wasn't a car. It was a motorcycle."

"A motorcycle?" Jack asks, cocking his head to the side and grinning. "I should have known…" he says, shaking his head. "Alright, your turn. Better make this a good one, you only have two more left!"

"I know, I know," Kate says, clearly enjoying this playful game between the two of them. "Have you ever been married?"

"Uh… yeah, I have," Jack says, looking down and not wanting to meet Kate's eyes. He doesn't want to see her reaction in case she thinks he was keeping it on purpose. He wasn't, he just didn't want to talk about a girl who had meant a half of what Kate does to him. "Her name was Sarah. She was a patient of mine, a miracle patient. I operated on her and they never thought she'd walk again, but she did. And we got married. But she left me about a year later; she was cheating on me with my best friend. I guess… I guess I thought that because I had fixed her, I was obligated in some way to marry her. It was my commitment that kept me with her, not the love. But I realized too late how out of control it was getting and when I tried to fix it again, I couldn't." Jack finishes and keeps his eyes averted from Kate, waiting for her reaction.

"Jack," she whispers, leaning forward to touch his forearm. "I'm so sorry. That's horrible… I can't believe she would do that to you. She must have been crazy," she adds, and when Jack looks up at her with hopeful eyes, she squeezes his arm gently. "There's no reason for me to be mad, Jack. I never asked." She squeezes his arm again reassuringly, and sits back. "Your turn, last question."

Thinking of how suddenly she changed the topic into something more serious, he asks the question he has been pondering for weeks – "Why did you want to get the airplane back so badly, Kate? What does it mean?"

Kate recoils, as if she has been hit. Her breath hitching in her throat, she swallows, attempting to clear whatever it is that has suddenly lodged itself there, making it impossible to talk.

"It was Tom's," she chokes out, closing her eyes to try and keep her tears from spilling over. "He was my best friend. We were supposed to get married, but then I had to run and he got married and had a kid. He helped me out with something at the hospital he worked at… you must think I have a thing for doctors, huh?" she laughs half-heartedly, her eyes still closed. "Anyways, we were leaving the hospital and the police had sent up a barricade… I- I told him to get out, but he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't get out. And they shot him, right in the chest," she pauses, taking a deep breath. "He had always carried that plane around when we were little, and I just had to have it, to remind me of him." She opens her eyes and wipes away the one rebellious tear that streaks its way down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she says, rolling her eyes towards the sky and laughing dejectedly. "I'm not usually this emotional, I swear. Must be something in the water."

"Kate," he says firmly, reaching out and placing his hands on her upper arms, forcing her to look at him. "You never have to apologize for being yourself. I can't imagine going through that – Sarah leaving me was bad enough. It doesn't make me like you any less, Kate. If you need to cry, cry. I'll be here for you, a shoulder to cry on. And you know what? I wouldn't have left either." She looks at him with grateful eyes, a smile curling the corners of her mouth.

"Jack? Can I ask my last question now?" she asks him, inches away from his face.

"Sure," he replies, his hands still grasping her arms and his breath growing ragged in the close proximity.

"Can I kiss you?" she whispers, letting the words echo in the air for mere seconds before she leans forward, balancing her hands on Jack's knees, and captures his lips with her own. Their kiss isn't rushed and frantic like in the jungle, but soft and sensual. She rubs the inside of his thighs with her thumbs, his moan filling her mouth. They carefully break away and rest their foreheads together, both breathing heavily. Shivering, Kate pulls back and searches Jack's eyes, hoping and praying she hasn't made yet another mistake. She is met with glittering eyes, the dancing flames only magnifying his elatedness. Feeling relieved, she leans in for another soft kiss before pulling away again, sitting back down on the soft blanket.

Noticing Kate shiver again, Jack lays back on the blanket, one arm under his head. With the other arm, he motions to Kate to move closer and she does, laying flush against him and settling her head in the crook of his arm, with her hand placed carefully on his chest. Resting his arm around the back of Kate, his hand ends up on her hip, his palm covering the bare skin between the bottom of her shirt and the waistband of her jeans. Feeling her shudder against him, he kisses the top of her head, distracting her while he slips two fingers into the loose waistband of her jeans. She gasps against him, and he begins massaging the bone that protrudes, anxious to feel every bit of her soft skin against his.

Kate sits up slightly, raising herself on her arm just enough so that she can see Jack's face in the moonlight. Her eyes dart questioningly over his face, her surprise at the sudden contact written in them.

"Kate, I didn't mean… I didn't plan for this-" Jack starts, seeing the look in Kate's eyes.

Cutting him off, she puts her finger to his lips, silencing him before she replaces it with her mouth, soft and sweet against his. She moves Jack back onto the blanket, her knees on either side of him as she continues to kiss him, opening her mouth to his to feel their tongues dance together. He moans into her mouth, sliding his hands down to rest at her waist as she begins unbuttoning his shirt. He pulls away, only to trail kisses down her neck while her fingers fumble with the buttons. His mouth dips down to the hollow of her collarbone, leaving a wet kiss there before he moves back up, kissing along her jaw line. Kate unbuttons the last button, opening his shirt and caressing his chest as she meets his mouth for another kiss.

Keeping one hand on her waist, he slides the other underneath her brown tank top, splaying his fingers to feel as much of her smooth skin as he can. He slips his pinky and ring fingers into the waistband of her jeans, rubbing slow circles as she hovers above him, breaking from his mouth and leaving kisses on his neck, sucking lightly as she moves down his chest. Unbuttoning his jeans, Kate slips a hand inside and feels his warmth growing against her palm as Jack watches with hungry eyes. She removes her hand and unzips his fly, tugging his jeans down and off, leaving him in just his boxers. She leans up and kisses along the waistband, keeping one hand on his knee and the other on the sand to balance her. Pulling the edge of his boxers down, she runs her tongue along the edge of his hipbone, eliciting a groan from Jack, before she pulls them off completely.

She looks up at Jack, only to be met with reassuring eyes as she takes the weight of him in her hand, stroking his length with her fingers. She smiles up at him as his eyes roll shut and his hands feel around for something to grasp, finding only sand that runs through his fingers, providing no resistance. Stroking him again, she moves up so that her body is on top of his and kisses him, hard and long, her tongue running along the edge of his teeth. He pulls back, tugging gently on her lower lip before he sits up, her in his lap. After he removes his shirt, she sets her hands on his bare shoulders as his fingers curl under the bottom edge of her shirt. Raising her arms over her head, she allows him to pull it off. Settling into his lap, she traces the ink on his bicep as he guides her bra straps down, leaving a trail of kisses where the thin fabric rested moments before. Reaching behind her, he unclasps her bra with one hand and, flinging it aside, gasps softly at the sight of before him. He runs his hands all over her – caressing her body as though she had never been touched before. His mouth soon replaces his hands, closing his eyes and mapping every inch of her, searing it into his memory.

She leans into the feel of his hands spread over her back, closing her eyes, wanting to feel the euphoria she is feeling now forever. Moving forward once again, Kate tilts his chin up with her head, running her tongue along his lower lip before kissing him deeply, exploring his mouth with her tongue. Holding her close to his body, he flips her over so that her back is on the blanket, her face upturned to the sparkling night sky. Reflexively, her legs open, allowing for his body to fit perfectly against hers, molding their bodies together as he strokes the sides of her face, leaving a sweet kiss on her forehead. Skimming her fingers down the ridges of muscles on his back, she gasps in protest as his warm body leaves hers, only to see Jack kneeling before her, his hands on her knees. Dipping his head, he kisses his way to her opening, tempting her with what is to come.

She can feel herself coming close to the edge, and she pulls his body back up to cover hers, catching his lips with her own. Sensing how close she is, he breaks the kiss, his arms supporting him as he lingers over her.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispers, kissing the hollow of her throat to feel her pulse leap against his lips.

"Jack," she murmurs into the air, her hands roaming over his back, desperately wanting to pull him as close to her as possible.

Raising himself up so that he is mere inches from her face, he asks, "Are you ready?"

She nods, her eyes never leaving his own. She digs her fingernails into his shoulders as he kisses her again, positioning himself in front of her. With one fluid motion, he is inside her, filling her completely. He pauses, letting them both catch their breath for a moment before he begins a slow rhythm, beads of sweat running off his back. She allows him to set the pace, moving with him like they are drifting in the ocean, back and forth. They move easily together, this push and pull, as if they've been doing it all their lives, as if they truly are one person. Dropping his head, he kisses her, sloppily and clumsily, all tongue and lips, as their passion increases. Moving faster, he finds himself lost in Kate – the feel of her smooth skin sliding against his, her hair tickling his cheeks as he rests his head on her shoulder. She grips his shoulder, letting him know how close she is, and he slows down, not wanting to finish before her.

Matching the rise and fall of her chest, he speeds up again, feeling her tighten around him. Feeling a coldness seep onto him, he opens his eyes to see that the ocean is surrounding them – wave after gentle wave moves onto the shore, enveloping them in the heat of the moment and mirroring their own rhythm. With a final movement, she shudders around him as he explodes into her, unifying them. As the ocean still flows around them, he collapses next to her, reaching for her hand and entwining his fingers with hers while they both catch their breath.

"That was… amazing," Kate manages, turning on her side to face Jack, kissing him hard. He moans in response, kissing her back before pulling away and standing. He reaches his hand down to her and she takes it, leaning her body up against his as he brushes her hair aside and kisses her shoulder, his hands softly moving in circles down her stomach, while the water swirls around their feet. He leads her back up to the fire, laying down next to it and drawing her naked body against his, his chin resting in the side of her neck. She draws his arms around her, resting on her stomach and entangled with one of hers as the other reaches up to massage the back of his neck, melting the knots with her fingers. He slips a leg between hers as he leaves a wet kiss behind her ear, following it with a chaste one.

They lay intertwined together, like two puzzle pieces when their precise location is found – joining them with the others around in a tango meant for two. Their eyes drift closed as the fire warms their damp bodies, knowing that whatever obstacles they will face, nothing can tear them apart now.


End file.
